"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world. The unreasonable man persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man."
George Bernard Shaw, 1856–1950
Irish playwright, the only person to have received both the Nobel Prize for Literature (1925) and an Oscar (1938).
Entrepreneurs embrace change, create change and enjoy change.
Imagine what the world would be like if all the people with brilliant ideas did something with them instead of just talking about them.
Stop moaning that you don't like the way things are – instead, make an effort to make small changes to improve your daily routine.
Change is difficult for many people to embrace because the life they have led so far is comfortable and change causes disruption to routine.
In contrast, entrepreneurs welcome changes from the norm and are excited about the opportunities caused by disruptive behaviour. If you don't create change, then who will?
"The critical ingredient is getting off your butt and doing something. It's as simple as that. A lot of people have ideas, but there are few who decide to do something about them now. Not tomorrow. Not next week. But today. The true entrepreneur is a doer, not a dreamer."
Nolan Bushnell, 1943–
American electrical engineer and entrepreneur, who founded computer company Atari and the Chuck E. Cheese's chain of pizza restaurants.
Sitting and talking about your ideas is all well and good, but you need to get out there and do the hard work to make them happen.
This is the part that most people misunderstand. It is easy to find a reason not to take action to make something real.
I hear many, many great ideas every day of the week and you can tell by the person's enthusiasm whether they have a real chance of success or are doomed to failure.
There are talkers and there are doers. The person rather than the idea is the critical ingredient.
Make the hard choice and decide to do, not dream.
"Your mind will answer most questions if you learn to relax and wait for the answer."
William S. Burroughs, 1914–97
American novelist and social critic, member of the Beat Generation and author of Naked Lunch and Cities of the Red Night.
Running a business is all consuming of your effort and energy. So take a day away from the office from time to time, and have the discipline to switch off your phone and e-mail.
Go for a walk or enjoy some other activity. Do something completely different to your normal routine.
It's healthy to be away from work and it helps recharge your batteries. It's often in times of quiet contemplation that we generate the best ideas – keep a notebook and pen with you at all times so you can record your moments of genius.
"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes."
Marcel Proust, 1871–1922
French novelist, essayist and critic, author of the seven-part novel In Search of Lost Time.
Create a collection of pictures and cuttings and set them up in your office or on your fridge to remind you of your grand plans.
There might be a picture of a car, a description of a holiday destination or something representing a deal with a particular client. Always visualize targets specific to your aspirations.
Some people are afraid of setting goals as they might fail to hit them, but by setting goals you are creating motivation. Ensure that your goals have deadlines driving them.
What do you want in life? If you can see where you want to get to, you can plan the best route to get there.
"Every day, you'll have opportunities to take chances and to work outside your safety net. Sure, it's a lot easier to stay in your comfort zone ... in my case, business suits and real estate ... but sometimes you have to take risks. When the risks pay off, that's when you reap the biggest rewards."
Donald Trump 1946–
Chairman and CEO of property developer the Trump Organization and owner of Trump World Tower in New York.
We are comfortable with experiences we are familiar with. Introduce something new and we feel vulnerable and unable to control the situation.
In contrast, it is vital that you feel comfortable with reinventing yourself in the eyes of your peers.
Many people often enjoy the look of surprise from friends, family and colleagues when they achieve something unexpected. This has happened to me on many occasions during the writing of this book. The reaction seems to be 'You? Writing what?'
Shock value is a powerful emotion.
"Losers visualize the penalties of failure. Winners visualize the rewards of success."
William S. Gilbert, 1836–1911
English dramatist, poet and illustrator, best known for his 14 comic operas including HMS Pinafore and The Mikado.
Visualization helps you place yourself in unfamiliar circumstances in advance. When the time comes for you to perform, whether presenting an idea to a forum or signing a business deal, you're some way to being prepared.
When you visualize the goal, try to realize the best outcome. When visualizing the presentation of your idea, create the moment when the audience applauds at the end.
Close your eyes and imagine yourself achieving your goal. Sense how it might feel at the moment of success. Many actors and business presenters benefit from this approach when trying to overcome stage fright.
Always visualize success – then make it happen.
"I felt a strange calmness... a type of euphoria. I felt I could run all day without tiring, that I could dribble through any of their team or all of them, that I could almost pass through them physically."
Pelé 1940–
Brazilian football player, who was given the title of Athlete of the Century by the International Olympic Committee.
Time seems to drag when you endure a difficult or tiresome task. When you enjoy yourself, time speeds up and the event is over too soon.
Flow is a mental state in which you're fully immersed in a task, often characterized by a feeling of energized focus, full involvement and success during the activity.
If time seems to be ticking slowly by, change your focus. Work on something else, be productive in another area or take a break. You must have absolute focus on the task to drive your idea further.
Capture flow in all your endeavours and you will have the mental aptitude for success.
"Along with a strong belief in your own inner voice, you also need laser-like focus combined with unwavering determination."
Larry Flynt, 1942–
American publisher and head of Larry Flynt Publications, which produces movies and magazines such as Hustler.
There will be times when you want to give up. Humans have an inbuilt fear of failure, but you've come this far, and you need to see your idea through to the end.
Find a mentor, someone who's been through similar experiences and can pass on insights to encourage you. I met with my mentor every fortnight, and his advice every time to "Keep going Jon, keep on going" was a great motivator.
If an issue seems insurmountable, turn it on its head to think about it anew. Often a stunning solution to your difficulty will present itself.
"Some questions don't have answers, which is a terribly difficult lesson to learn."
Katharine Graham, 1917–2001
American publisher who steered her family's newspaper, The Washington Post, for more than 20 years and won a Pulitzer Prize in 1998 for her memoirs.
Starting a successful business is extremely hard and there are many more failures among start-ups than successes. The good news is that the current generation of entrepreneurs is filing more patents, registering more trademarks and beginning more ventures than any previous generation since the industrial revolution.
Remember, the journey to a new business venture requires emotion, commitment, tenacity and dedicated work. It's like riding a roller-coaster – there are deep dark troughs and massive peaks of elation.
Be prepared for both joys and disappointments along the road to your success. It's not easy, but it's worth the effort.
"Motivation is a fire from within. If someone else tries to light that fire under you, chances are it will burn very briefly."
Stephen Covey 1932–
American author who has written several bestselling books on motivation and self-leadership, including The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.
Even highly motivated individuals get frustrated, discouraged, or tired at some point.
Everyone needs to know that their efforts are noticed and that their good work is regularly appreciated.
It may not be financial reward you seek but artistic appreciation or the congratulations that come with sporting success. Everyone is motivated by different things. Find out what your own motivations are and use them to achieve the rewards you deserve.
Many entrepreneurs are motivated by the idea of success rather than simply money. What is success to you?
As you employ other people, remember that motivation is a behaviour that you can influence but not create, so find out what your employees' motivators are too.